Professors from Wilfrid Laurier and Laurentian honoured with OCUFA Service Awards

TORONTO– The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the OCUFA Service Award: Judy Bates from the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA), and Jean-Charles Cachon from the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA).

“The OCUFA Service Award was established to honour individuals who have done, or continue to do, exceptional work on behalf of OCUFA and faculty across Ontario,” said Gyllian Phillips, President of OCUFA. “We are thrilled to bestow this award on two such deserving individuals.”

Judy Bates, a retired professor from Wilfrid Laurier University, served as Vice-President of OCUFA from 2013 to 2015, and then as President from 2015 to 2017. She has been a passionate advocate for faculty and a constant source of inspiration for her colleagues. Her tireless work has advanced academic freedom and strengthened the rights of faculty at Wilfrid Laurier. At OCUFA, her advocacy work energized the campaign for fairness for contract faculty, which continues to gain momentum.

Jean-Charles Cachon, a professor at Laurentian University, served as an OCUFA Director, as well as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Laurentian University Faculty Association. He has been a driving force for promoting the interests of professors and academic librarians at Laurentian University, and a tireless champion for workers in Sudbury. During his forty-year academic career, he has played an integral role advancing equity for indigenous peoples and spearheading Francophone initiatives at the university.

“The recipients of this award have shown remarkable dedication to OCUFA and provided tireless service to their colleagues on their own campuses and across Ontario,” said Phillips. “It is their work that allows OCUFA to achieve our goals of protecting the rights and interests of faculty while promoting a high-quality, accessible public university system.”

Professors Bates and Cachon will receive their awards at a ceremony hosted by OCUFA in Toronto on May 12, 2018.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 28 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Ben Lewis, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or blewis@ocufa.on.ca
OR Mark Rosenfeld, Executive Director at 416-306-6030 or mrosenfeld@ocufa.on.ca